In terms of the Pfizer vaccine being approved for kids between the ages of 12 and 15, almost one fourth of new covid cases right now are in kids. That seems a pretty good argument for getting going on those immunizations. Several leaders here in Virginia are calling for school-based clinics to give the Pfizer shots. They will have to hurry, though, if they want to give the second shot before the end of the school year. One argument for school-based clinics is that requiring a permission slip from parents would relieve parents from taking their children somewhere to be vaccinated outside of school hours. When Son #2 was transitioning from elementary to middle school, the Health Department came to the school to give some required vaccination. I don't remember which one, though, and since I passed his immunization record on to him, I can't look at that to see.
Covid deaths in the US are at their lowest level in 10 months. The number of deaths in some states has dropped into single digits more than once. Some states have even reported no deaths on several days. I hope that trend continues. I know that the warmer weather is getting more people outside more often, and that certainly helps, though the crowds at sporting events and graduations may paint a different picture. Fingers crossed that things such as cases and deaths continue to decline.
India, on the other hand, is not seeing any real improvement. At least 90 more bodies were found washed up in a river used by rural residents for drinking and cooking. The 4,205 deaths Tuesday was a new record; the death toll has now climbed over 250,000. More than 860 medical personnel have died, 116 of them in less than one month. The Indian "variant of global concern" has now been identified in almost 50 countries worldwide.
The WHO has released a report on the pandemic that they commissioned from an independent panel. Surprise, but the pandemic was preventable, with "weak links at every point in the chain." Preparation was inconsistent and underfunded, and the WHO was underpowered, making "global political leadership ... absent." The initial reports coming out of China in December 2019 should have been heeded. The lack of strong initial leadership made February 2020 "lost" in terms of the pandemic's progression. Looking ahead, the report recommends that high-income countries with enough vaccines ordered for their own needs should commit to providing at least one billion doses to Covax by September 1. The G7 should provide 60 percent of the $19 billion needed for vaccines, therapeutics, tests, and strengthening health systems. The remaining 40 percent should come from the G20 and other high-income countries.
And the word on my computer from hell is, well, that it is behaving like a computer from hell in terms of the shop's being able to get everything backed up. On that cheery note, I do think I'll go fold laundry.
